Spiked drinks and 'date rape' drugs
Drink spiking is when alcohol and drugs are added to your drink without your permission.
In some cases 'date rape drugs' might be used to spike a drink before a rape or sexual assault.
Spiking someone's drinks is illegal, even if you don't get attacked or assaulted.
People can also be the victims of 'needle spiking', which is injecting someone with drugs without their consent.
So-called 'date rape drugs' aren't only used on dates. An attacker could be someone you just met or someone you’ve known for a while.
The term 'date rape' is commonly used, so we've decided to use it here, but that doesn't imply that rape by someone you know is a less serious offence.
What are date rape drugs?
Alcohol
Alcohol is a commonly used date rape drug. It can be added to a soft drink without you knowing, or you might be given double measures when you asked for singles.
Drugs
Date rape drugs can be mixed into drinks and are almost impossible to detect. They make people feel weak and confused and can cause them to pass out and forget everything that happened while they were on the drug.
The most commonly known date rape drugs are:
- Rohypnol (also called roofie)
- Gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB)
Other less common date rape drugs are:
- Ecstasy
- Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)
- Ketamine
How to tell if you've been spiked
It can be difficult to know if your drink has been spiked, but if you feel strange or like you've had more alcohol to drink that you actually have, then get help straight away.
Symptoms could include:
- confusion
- memory loss
- feeling sick or throwing up
- lowered inhibitions
- loss of balance
- unconsciousness
- problems with vision
Report it
Is it an emergency?
Does it feel like the situation could get heated or violent very soon? Is someone in immediate danger? Do you need support right away? If so, please call 999 now.
If you have a hearing or speech impairment, use our textphone service 18000 or text us on 999 if you’ve pre-registered with the emergencySMS service.
One of the main effects of date rape drugs is memory loss, so you might not be sure if you've been assaulted.
It's always your choice whether to report possible rape or sexual assault. But if you decide to report it, you can:
- tell the police or report it to another organisation
- report it anonymously or give your full details and start an investigation
- report it yourself or ask someone else to report it for you
If you want to report it the police, you can do that:
- online
- by calling 101
- by going to a police station
How to report rape and sexual assault
You can report drink spiking even if you don't think you've been assaulted.
Forensics
If you give permission, forensic tests can be done to check for date rape drugs in your system. Blood and urine samples need to be taken quite soon after the incident. But hair and nail samples can be used to detect drugs much later.
Find out more about forensic evidence in rape and sexual assault.
Further advice
You can get support for rape and sexual assault whether or not you want to report it to us.
Drink spiking can happen in any situation and it's never your fault.
Victim support
Independent charity that helps victims of crime, their family or friends.